Arkansas medical marijuana sales set record in 2023

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

Arkansas medical marijuana sales set a new record in 2023 with a 2.53% increase over 2022, and the number of Arkansans with active marijuana patient cards rose 8.4% in 2023, according to the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration (DFA).

The DFA report posted Tuesday (Jan. 9) shows that medical marijuana sales totaled $283 million for the year, up from the previous record of $276 million in 2022. The state’s 38 dispensaries sold 62,227 pounds of marijuana in 2023, well above the 50,547 pounds in 2022. The state has licensed eight cultivators to provide products to the dispensaries.

The Arkansas Department of Health reports 97,374 active patient cards as of Jan. 9, up 8.4% from 89,855 at the end of 2022.

Arkansas medical marijuana sales set record in 2023

Drought, delay of Farm Bill lead agri headlines in 2023

by George Jared (gjared@talkbusiness.net)

Drought, the federal Farm Bill, foreign ownership of agriculture land and the Waters of the United States (WOTUS) dominated agriculture headlines in Northeast Arkansas during the 2023 growing season.

For a second consecutive year, severe, extreme and exceptional drought afflicted many areas along the Mississippi River with more than 65 percent of Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas having some form of drought in September.

Drought was a double-edged sword for Arkansas growers. On the plus side, drought helped suppress crop diseases and speed harvesting. On the downside, the water-starved Mississippi River dropped to its lowest level ever at Memphis on Oct. 17, to minus 12.04 feet. Recent rains along its length in early December prompted a forecast rise to more than 3 feet by Dec. 18, followed by another drop into the negative numbers.

Drought, delay of Farm Bill lead agri headlines in 2023

YEAREND: As drought tightened cattle production, 2023 markets soared

LITTLE ROCK — Cattle market prices are as high as they’ve been in a decade. That’s good news for producers who have been able to maintain their herds in recent years, but a missed opportunity for those who weren’t.

HIGH DOLLAR — “It was an exciting year in terms of markets for cattle,” said the Division of Agriculture's James Mitchell said. “Cattle prices leading up to the fall were as high as we’ve seen them in 10 years — that had lots of people excited about the future. On the production side, it was exciting depending on who you asked.” (Image courtesy USDA.) 

Throughout most of the year, both futures and cash markets for steers, calves and more marked a vast improvement over 2022. By the last week of November, prices for medium and large No. 1 steer calves (weighing 500 to 600 pounds) were above $270 per hundredweight, more than $80 per hundredweight higher than the same time in 2022 and more than $100 higher than the average from 2017-2021.

James Mitchell, assistant professor and extension economist in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness at the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, said that the benefits of high prices largely fell to those with access to good grazing and forage.

“It was an exciting year in terms of markets for cattle,” Mitchell said. “Cattle prices leading up to the fall were as high as we’ve seen them in 10 years — that had lots of people excited about the future. On the production side, it was exciting depending on who you asked.” 

A wide swath of droughty conditions has made its way down the middle of the United States over the last several years — affecting first the Northern Plains states such as Montana and Idaho in 2021-2022, then the Southern Plains of Kansas and Texas and finally the Southeast in 2023.

“About three-quarters of Arkansas was heavily affected,” Mitchell said. “The southeastern United States has been hit incredibly hard by drought. All of our neighbors to the east — Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Kentucky, Florida — are in a pretty tough spot, still very much in a drought. So for them, there’s not much they can do with these high prices, because they don’t have any grass or forage. There was nothing they could really do this winter, in terms of retaining calves.

“So you’ve got significant portions of cattle-producing states suffering through drought, forcing them to shrink or liquidate their herds because of a lack of forage,” he said. “When you have three consecutive years of that, you’re going to have a tightening of beef cow availability, which means you’ve got fewer calves being born each year. So you have tighter and tighter supplies, which of course leads to higher prices — assuming demand holds steady.”

In January, the U.S. Department of Agriculture reported that the total U.S. beef cattle inventory was at its lowest since 1962, declining more than 3 percent from the previous year to 28.9 million head. The inventory reported an entire cattle inventory of 89.3 million. Mitchell said he believes the forthcoming USDA Cattle Inventory report, expected in January 2024, will reflect a fourth consecutive year of contracting cattle supply in the United States.

Of course, there’s almost nothing that can’t price itself out of the market. At a certain point, Mitchell said, consumer resiliency will give way to more competitive pricing for — in this case — other animal proteins, such as poultry, pork and fish.

“People consume less of something when it gets more expensive — it’s just a law of economics,” he said.

Mitchell said that rebuilding the country’s beef cattle inventory will be a multi-year process — one that can’t really even begin under the persistence of drought.

“Pastures are going to have to recover before we see any discussion of expanding cattle numbers,” he said. “Even if that does occur, it’s going to take a couple of years for that expansion to be noticed. We don’t have the cows; it’s going to take a year to develop heifers, another year for them to give us calves, and so on. So we’re looking at a few more years of declining cattle numbers.

“An important thing that’s different from 2014-2015, is that it’s going to be more expensive to buy back in and expand herds,” Mitchell said. “Interest rates are higher than they were 10 years ago. We expanded the herds very rapidly in 2014, we did that with low interest rates — so capital was inexpensive. That should lead to more careful calculation in terms of how we decide to expand herds.”

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.

The Year in Review, 2023: UAMS Opens Several New Buildings, Expands Clinical Programs

By Ben Boulden

The spring and summer of 2023 brought growth to UAMS as the university opened several new facilities including a new hospital  on the Little Rock campus and broke ground on a new sports performance center in Northwest Arkansas.

Clinical operations and programs at several sites also expanded.

In April, UAMS opened a new, 32,000-square-foot Urology Center in Premier Medical Plaza on Rodney Parham Road just days after opening a new UAMS Health Orthopaedic & Spine Clinic in North Little Rock.

The Year in Review, 2023: UAMS Opens Several New Buildings, Expands Clinical Programs

In 2023, UAMS celebrated several openings of new facilities as well as broke ground on new construction. Starting top left, they were: 1 - Urology Center in Premier Medical Plaza; 2 - Orthopaedic & Spine Clinic in North Little Rock; 3 - new Radiation Oncology Center; 4 - Proton Center; 5 - The Orthopaedic & Spine Hospital; 6 - Cancer clinic and infusion center at Baptist Health Medical Center-Little Rock; 7 - Orthopaedics & Sports Performance Center in Springdale (concept art); and 8 Milk Bank.

Registration opens Aug. 28 for Walk Across Arkansas Fall 2023

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

LITTLE ROCK — As families resume their busy back to school schedules, it’s important to take time to exercise. Walk Across Arkansas, an eight-week, group-based exercise program from the Cooperative Extension Service, is designed to help Arkansans get moving and collaborate with peers.

GET MOVING, ARKANSAS — To help Arkansans get active, the Cooperative Extension Service's Walk Across Arkansas program asks participants to log their number of minutes spent being physically active each day. The free program is offered each spring and fall, and past participants list numerous benefits, including better sleep, lower stress levels and strengthened relationships with teammates. (Division of Agriculture graphic.)

The free program is offered each spring and fall by the Cooperative Extension Service, the outreach arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. Participants record the total number of minutes spent being physically active each day — and any moderate to vigorous physical activity that boosts the heart rate counts — not just walking.

Teams can consist of one person to as many as 30 people. Participants can register and log exercise minutes at walk.uada.edu/walk/. Registration for the fall 2023 session opens Aug. 28, and the competition starts Sept. 11 and ends on Nov. 5.

Heather Wingo, extension health program associate for the Division of Agriculture, said the Walk Across Arkansas program is a great resource for Arkansans looking to improve their health.

“Walk Across Arkansas provides an endless list of benefits, such as improving physical activity goals, encouraging teamwork, improved strength and stamina, and lower stress levels,” Wingo said. “And it’s completely free, making it very accessible for all participants.”

Positive results

During the spring 2023 Walk Across Arkansas session, 409 participants on 82 teams from 43 counties logged 1,036,886 minutes. Wingo said many participants reported they had more energy, slept better, controlled stress, strengthened relationships, lost weight or inches, and improved their blood panels and blood pressure.

“Participants can start slow and gradually build up their exercise time over the course of eight weeks as they get stronger,” Wingo said. “If you need a little motivation to get going, having friends with similar goals can help you stay on track.”

Anyone can participate in Walk Across Arkansas. Division of Agriculture employees must use a personal email address, not their work email address, to register. Visit walk.uada.edu/walk/ to learn more and register or contact your local county extension agent.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Arkansas 4-H Food Challenge teams compete to create healthy, tasty meals on a budget

By Rebekah Hall
U of A System Division of Agriculture

NORTH LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — In many rural Arkansas communities, access to fresh, nutritious food is limited and creating healthy meals on a budget presents a challenge. Arkansas 4-H youth from around the state rose to the occasion recently, putting their cooking skills to the test at the Arkansas 4-H Food Challenge on Aug. 4.

JUDGING TIME — Howard County Seniors with Spatulas Christian Trombley, Sarah Lamb and Anna Kate McKinnon present their dish to judges. The Seniors with Spatulas won first place in the senior division at the Arkansas 4-H Food Challenge. (Division of Agriculture photo.)

Thirty-two junior and senior teams from 17 counties competed in the challenge, held at the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management Institute, or CAHMI, at UA Pulaski Technical College in North Little Rock. Teams had 40 minutes to prep, cook and clean up their station and used ingredients available at dollar stores, including canned tomatoes, frozen broccoli, pasta and heavy cream.

Each team had five minutes to present their dish to judges and explain the food safety measures taken in preparing it, the nutritional value and the total cost of the ingredients. The judging panel included Cooperative Extension Service family and consumer science agents as well as Renee Smith, former associate dean of CAHMI; Chef Randy Adamson, a graduate of CAHMI; and Ashlyn Ussery, an agriculture and natural resources educator for the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture.

Amanda Welch, 4-H youth development specialist for the Division of Agriculture and coordinator of the 4-H Food Challenge, said the program was designed to teach youth culinary skills and help them develop healthy habits for life.

“The Arkansas 4-H Food Challenge was created for 4-H’ers to apply their nutritional and culinary knowledge at a fun, friendly state competition that mirrors the National 4-H Food Challenge,” Welch said. “It is a lot easier for a person with poor eating habits to improve when they’re given resources that are convenient and accessible to them. It's vital that we educators help our youth be proactive in making and creating healthy lifestyle choices with foods that are accessible to them.”

Welch said that the Arkansas 4-H Food Challenge has nearly tripled in size since it began in 2021.

“Thanks to the Healthy Habits grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation, Arkansas 4-H has had the funds and resources to grow this program from 11 teams to 32 teams over the past three years,” Welch said. “It takes a lot of time, funding and resources for county agents to prep, plan and implement nutritional education programs in their communities and clubs.”

Welch said all food not used during the competition was donated to The Shack, a non-profit ministry in Little Rock that provides free hygiene facilities, laundry services and meals for people in need.

The winners were:

Senior Division

First place: Howard County Seniors with Spatulas — Sarah Lamb, Anna Kate McKinnon, Christian Trombley

Second place: Grant County Slice, Slice, Babies — Klaesy Knoefler, Daley Rogers, Dylan Rogers

Third place: Grant County Amazin’ Glazinz — Aubrey Ottens, Kortni Nelson, Acacia Searcy

Junior Division

First place: Craighead County Sautéed and Flambéed — Gus Faulkner, Danny Lesslie, Gabrielle Leslie

Second place: Howard County Food Choppers — Ayden Howard, Abi Webb, Parker Webb

Third place-tie: Greene County Amazing Glaze — Karie Head, Addie Lashley, Millie McKinney and Reesie Tritch, tied with Yell County’s Clover Choppers — Tristan Garrison, Maeleigh Miller, Brooklyn Moulder, Kaitlyn Munroe

Due to a recent rule change, the same Arkansas 4-H senior team cannot compete twice at the 4-H National Food Challenge. Because the Howard County Seniors with Spatulas also competed at the National Food Challenge last year, the Arkansas 4-H Food Challenge’s second-place senior team, Grant County’s Slice, Slice, Babies, will instead advance to the national competition on Oct. 3 at the Texas State Fair.

For their winning dish, the Howard County Seniors with Spatulas used the mystery ingredient of bowtie pasta to create a “Southwest Soup” with canned chicken, heavy whipping cream, corn, broccoli, tomatoes and Parmesan cheese.

“Right now in our county, it’s show season, and I show goats,” Christian Trombley, 16, told the judges. “This would be a really good meal for me to eat after exercising them because it has lots of protein, which helps regulate your muscles.”

Sarah Lamb, 17, said her favorite part of competing in the 4-H Food Challenge is meeting new people and getting creative with food. Lamb said she hopes to own her own bakery one day.

“I like working together, especially with these three, because we all get along very well,” said Anna Kate McKinnon, 14. “We like to laugh a lot.”

4-H is a youth development program operated by the Cooperative Extension Service, part of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture. The program teaches participants life skills through the “learn by doing” model. Program participants gain knowledge through non-formal, science-based, experiential education activities.

To learn more about Arkansas 4-H and its programs, visit the Arkansas 4-H website.

To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk.

Sales Tax Holiday 2023 Saturday, August 5, in Arkansas

As summer winds down and the excitement of a new school year builds, families across the state are planning for the added expense of back-to-school shopping.

This year, consumers are expected to spend close to $600 per child on clothes, shoes, and school supplies. That is why we want to take this time to remind you about the upcoming Arkansas Sales Tax Holiday.

This year, the sales tax holiday will begin at 12:01 a.m. on Saturday, August 5, and will continue until 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, August 6.

Act 757 of 2011 provides for a sales tax holiday in Arkansas during the first weekend of August each year. A sales tax holiday is a temporary period when state and local sales taxes are not collected or paid on the purchase of certain products.

Arkansas is one of 17 states that provides a sales tax holiday before the beginning of the school year.

Clothing less than $100 per item is exempt during the weekend, as well as clothing accessories less than $50 per item. Clothing accessories include handbags, cosmetics, jewelry, umbrellas, and more. Most school supplies, including book bags, binders, paper, crayons, pencils, and rulers, are also exempt.

In 2021, the General Assembly passed Act 944. The act expanded the sales tax holiday to include electronics. Examples include a calculator, desktop computer, cell phone, e-reader, computer mouse, laptop, monitor, printer, keyboard, and tablets. It does not include video game systems or televisions.

The sales tax holiday does include purchases made online.

The Arkansas Sales Tax Holiday benefits families, students, and local businesses. Providing financial relief to parents, the holiday is helping to ensure children have the necessary tools for learning.

We have posted a comprehensive list of eligible items and answers to frequently asked questions on our website www.arkansashouse.org.

Arkansas Trucking Association announces 2023 conference speakers

by Jeff Della Rosa (JDellaRosa@nwabj.com)

Shelley Simpson, president of Lowell-based J.B. Hunt Transport Services, and Gov. Sarah Sanders will be featured speakers at the annual Arkansas Trucking Association Conference & Vendor Showcase next week in Little Rock. Chris Spear, president and CEO of American Trucking Associations, will also speak at the three-day event.

More than 300 trucking industry leaders are expected to attend the event from Monday through Wednesday (May 15-17) at the Statehouse Convention Center. Speakers will address economics, leadership, politics, workforce equity, nuclear verdicts and the state’s role in the global supply chain.

On Tuesday, Simpson, who was named president of J.B. Hunt in 2022, will speak about the role Arkansas plays in the supply chain and the future of trucking. Bryan Day, executive director of the Port of Little Rock, will highlight the expansion of business in central Arkansas and how trucking is helping to drive the growth. Ross DeVol, president and CEO of Bentonville think tank Heartland Forward, will provide strategies for promoting regional innovation to enable job creation and economic growth.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/05/arkansas-trucking-association-announces-2023-conference-speakers/

Lawmakers adjourn ‘sine die’ to end 94th General Assembly regular session

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

State lawmakers officially ended the regular session of the 94th Arkansas General Assembly on Monday (May 1).

All told, the legislature passed 889 new laws this session. The hallmark legislation this year centered on education changes, sentencing reform, tax cuts, and a host of culturally divisive issues ranging from transgender rights to book access at public libraries.

The Arkansas State Senate adjourned sine die a little after noon while passing several honorary resolutions and approving a dozen gubernatorial appointments. There was no effort made to override any of the four vetoes Gov. Sanders issued during the legislature’s recess.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/05/lawmakers-adjourn-sine-die-to-end-94th-general-assembly-regular-session/

Winners announced in 2023 Arkansas Food Hall of Fame

by Talk Business & Politics staff (staff2@talkbusiness.net)

On Monday (March 6), the winners of the 2023 Arkansas Food Hall of Fame were announced at a ceremony at the Ron Robinson Theater in Little Rock.

The Department of Arkansas Heritage launched the Arkansas Food Hall of Fame program in 2016 to recognize Arkansas’ legendary restaurants, proprietors and food-themed events across the state.

This year’s winners included:

Arkansas Food Hall of Fame
Kream Kastle of Blytheville
The Bulldog Restaurant of Bald Knob
Ozark Cafe of Jasper

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/03/winners-announced-in-2023-arkansas-food-hall-of-fame/

Strawberry shortcake from The Bulldog in Bald Knob. (photo: Arkansas Tourism)

Westrock Coffee to build $70 million distribution center in Conway

by Roby Brock (roby@talkbusiness.net)

Westrock Coffee Co. announced Tuesday (Jan. 31) an agreement to develop a $70 million, 530,000-square-foot distribution center with Tempus Realty Partners, an Arkansas-based real estate investment partnership that was represented by Colliers Arkansas.

The 30-acre site will be located near heavily trafficked I-40 in Conway, just 30 miles from Little Rock.

Westrock Coffee will fully occupy the tilt-wall distribution center following construction, which is expected to be completed by the end of 2023. It is expected to support product and packaging produced at Westrock Coffee’s expanded extract and ready-to-drink manufacturing facility in Conway and additional distribution needs.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/01/westrock-coffee-to-build-70-million-distribution-center-in-conway/

Rendering of new Westrock Coffee distribution center.

State of the State 2023: Slower economic growth likely, with rebound in 2024

by Michael Tilley (mtilley@talkbusiness.net)

The U.S. and Arkansas economies may have 99 problems, or more considering inflation, but a recession in 2023 ain’t one of them. Probably not, anyway. Or at least not a deep recession, according to arguably a growing consensus among economists.

John Shelnutt, Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration director of economic analysis and tax research, doesn’t anticipate a deep or disruptive U.S. recession in 2023.

“Most U.S. economic forecast groups currently have either a shallow recession in the first half of 2023 or a below-trend growth period during the year,” noted the economist who provides tax revenue guidance for Arkansas officials. “The differences are minor and derive from small variations in growth for personal consumption expenditures (PCE), the largest GDP component. Even the shallow recession camp of forecasts shows weak positive gains for PCE in inflation-adjusted (real) terms.”

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/01/state-of-the-state-2023-slower-economic-growth-likely-with-rebound-in-2024/

State of the State 2023: Tourism officials tout busy 2023, push outdoor recreation

by Tina Alvey Dale (tdale@talkbusiness.net)

Arkansas’ new secretary of the Arkansas Department of Parks, Heritage and Tourism, Mike Mills, believes now is an exciting time for the department. The almost 50-year veteran of the state’s tourism sector says the industry has recovered from the pandemic.

“As Arkansas State Parks celebrates its centennial year, the Arkansas tourism industry continues to thrive, having increased revenue consistently for the past 20 months,” said Mills, who was appointed to the cabinet position Jan. 12.

Data released by the department in September shows Arkansas’ tourism industry had record-breaking visitation in 2021 and has recovered after the significant decline in 2020 that was a result of the global COVID-19 pandemic. The state saw over 41 million visitors in 2021 compared to 29.2 million in 2020 and 36.3 million in 2019. Lodging spending increased 49% after a fall of 29% in 2020. That rebound led to lodging spending exceeding its 2019 level by 5%. The data was released during the Arkansas Hospitality Association’s annual convention in Little Rock.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/01/state-of-the-state-2023-tourism-officials-tout-busy-2023-push-outdoor-recreation/

State of the State 2023: Energy leaders hopeful this year after multiple 2022 surprises

by Jeff Della Rosa (JDellaRosa@nwabj.com)

Energy industry officials look to greater stability, advanced energy investments and beneficial policies after facing multiple unexpected challenges last year. Surprises included Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and price volatility that impacted inflation, consumers and production investments to meet demand.

Still, advanced energy projects endured amid the expiration of an Arkansas rule ensuring solar array owners maintain projected savings. The grandfathering rule for solar projects expired Dec. 31; however, in late December, the Arkansas Public Service Commission issued a rule to extend it. The rule still needs legislative approval.

Lauren Waldrip, executive director for the Arkansas Advanced Energy Association, was surprised by the rule expiration but said she appreciated the commission’s new ruling, which can be referenced in the rulemaking process. If legislators approve the rule, grandfathering would be extended through May 31, 2040.

https://talkbusiness.net/2023/01/state-of-the-state-2023-energy-leaders-hopeful-this-year-after-multiple-2022-surprises/

AUDIO: Governor Hutchinson’s Weekly Address | W.I.N.S. in 2022

LITTLE ROCK – As 2022 comes to an end, I have been reflecting on my time as Governor and looking forward to what is ahead.

In January, I announced my W.I.N.S. initiative for my final year as Governor. Each letter in W.I.N.S. stands for a pillar that I have focused on to boost Arkansas to success. Workforce Training, Infrastructure, New Economy Jobs, and Strengthening Arkansas Families all aim to push Arkansas to being the best place the state can be – and help Arkansas WIN.

Arkansas has continually grown economically over the past eight years. Thanks to the people of Arkansas, we have made this state one of the premier locations for business owners to put their roots down and conduct business that gives well-paying jobs to hard-working Arkansans and puts more money into our state.

As this year and my term is coming to an end, Arkansas has never been in better financial shape than we are right now. We have lowered taxes, funded services, and we have over $2 billion in reserve accounts.

Even in the face of a pandemic, the state’s economy, like Arkansans themselves, remained resilient. In 2021, Arkansas was ranked number two in the nation for states with the most pandemic-proof small businesses. That speaks not only to the hard work of business owners who have chosen to live in Arkansas, but to the small business environment, workforce support, and resource access our state’s infrastructure had in place, ready to help small businesses.

Arkansas small businesses were rightfully ranked as having the greatest potential to bounce back because they had the least to bounce back from. Arkansas never shut down throughout the pandemic. Our state kept working, and our consistently low unemployment rate over the past few years reflects that. In fact, there are over 120,000 more people employed now than when I took office in January 2015.

The future success of our state demands that we improve the training of our workforce. Now with initiatives like the ‘Ready for Life’ program, it is easier for employees and employers to find each other, and it will offer business leaders a quick snapshot of the employee pool in Arkansas as they recruit talent.

Our infrastructure is the backbone of everyday operations in this state, and it is worth investing in to create a better quality of living. That is why we have invested almost $500 million in rural broadband expansion in our state.

In terms of new economy jobs, we expanded our high-tech jobs from the steel industry to software development, and this growth will continue with the recommendations from the Council on Future Mobility Report.  

Lastly, but certainly not least of the pillars of my W.I.N.S. initiative – strengthening Arkansas families. Over the past year, my focus has been to give families the best chance of success and to protect Arkansas children from child abuse and crime.

In November, I announced a monumental expansion in rural health services with the ARHOME Medicaid program. Thanks to the great work of the teams at the Arkansas Department of Human Services, Life360 HOMEs will address the complex challenges facing many of Arkansas’s most vulnerable residents, including individuals in rural areas with serious mental illness and those in need of addiction services. I look forward to watching the full potential of this transformative program as it unfolds in the months and years to come.

As we conclude 2022, I am grateful for the W.I.N.S. we have had this year in improving our workforce, investing in our infrastructure, creating new economy jobs, and strengthening Arkansas families.

Applications now open for 2023 F2OCUS: Future of Food undergrad summer program

By John Lovett
University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture
Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — Opening the realms of possibility in food science is the goal behind the Future of Food: Opportunities and Careers for Undergraduate Students (F2OCUS) Fellowship Program. 

FIRST FELLOWS — The inaugural class of the Future of Food: Opportunities and Careers for Undergraduate Students (F2OCUS) Fellowship Program in 2022 included Maya Henderson, left, Amanda Stuber, Natalie Blake, Derek Mullins, Luke Norman, Sarkis Kalajyan and Addie Gerstner. Application deadline for the 2023 summer fellowship program is Jan. 13, 2023. (U of A System Division of Ag photo)

Applications will be accepted until Jan. 13, 2023, for the paid, summer program, which is open to undergraduates in degree programs that can be complementary to food science, like physics, biology, chemistry, animal science, consumer sciences, psychology and agricultural studies like horticulture.

Kristen Gibson, professor of food safety and microbiology for the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station, the research arm of the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture, is the F2OCUS Fellowship Program director. The program was created in 2022 with a $730,000 Research and Extension Experience for Undergraduates grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture to increase understanding of food supply safety, quality and security. The grant supports the program for five years. 

“We are looking forward to having the second cohort of F2OCUS Fellows on campus in summer 2023,” Gibson said. “We are hoping to select from another great pool of applicants.”

Gibson, who is also director of the Center for Food Safety, is joined by food science faculty members Jennifer Acuff, assistant professor of food microbiology and safety, and Jamie Baum, associate professor of nutrition, as fellowship project directors. Jill Rucker, associate professor of agricultural education, communications and technology for the Dale Bumpers College of Agricultural, Food and Life Sciences at the University of Arkansas, is also a project director and fellowship mentor.

In addition to the four project directors, 10 collaborating mentors with extensive mentoring experience have been chosen to assist with the fellowship program. Industry partners, many of whom are University of Arkansas graduates and serve as adjunct faculty, will also participate in the fellowship program.

F2OCUS Fellow experiences include the 4-H ExCEL Leadership Program at the C.A. Vines Arkansas 4-H Center in Little Rock, which features a high-ropes course and zipline. Gibson said there will also be numerous food industry visits in northwest Arkansas, such as the Tyson Discovery Center and Newly Weds Foods, as well as a visit to the annual Blackberry Field Day at the experiment station’s Fruit Research Station near Clarksville.

Hands-on learning activities with professors as mentors are expected to result in the development of technical skills in food science research. Participants will take part in the creation of a novel food product with a team of F2OCUS Fellows and engage in externships with food industry and cooperative extension partners. 

 While scientific research is a significant part of the fellowship, there is also a heavy emphasis on team building, leadership development, and communications skills, Gibson said.

The 2023 summer F2OCUS fellowship program runs for 10 weeks from May 22 through July 28. Each student awarded a fellowship will receive a $5,000 stipend, in addition to room and board. Additional financial support for necessary travel is also possible. 

Eight undergraduates who are not enrolled in a food science program will be chosen to spend the summer in Fayetteville, Gibson said.

For more information and to apply, please visit the F2OCUS Program website at https://future-food-reeu.uada.edu.

To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu. Follow on Twitter at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on Twitter at @AgInArk. To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu.

UAMS Health Specialty Center to Open In Premier Medical Plaza in Early 2023

By Yavonda Chase

The University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS) is moving a complement of specialty services to Premier Medical Plaza at 10915 Rodney Parham Road in west Little Rock. UAMS plans to open the facility in early 2023.

The UAMS Health Specialty Center will house an Ambulatory Surgery, Interventional Radiology, a Urology Clinic and an Advanced Imaging Center.

UAMS is leasing 32,000 square feet of space from Moses Tucker Partners and will join several medical providers in the state-of-the-art plaza. Between UAMS, Premier Gastroenterology Associates, Baptist Health and Natural State Laboratories, the medical facility is 100% leased.

https://news.uams.edu/2022/06/21/uams-health-specialty-center-to-open-in-premier-medical-plaza-in-early-2023/

UAMS is moving compliment of specialty services to Premier Medical Plaza at 10915 Rodney Parham Road in west Little Rock. Image by Clark Contractors